


From One to Ninety-Two

by lotsofthinkythoughts (Mianna)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 01:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13225410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mianna/pseuds/lotsofthinkythoughts
Summary: Steve wants Christmas to be perfect.





	From One to Ninety-Two

**Author's Note:**

> Written for SteggyForeverUniverse over on Tumblr for the 2017 Steggy Secret Santa exchange

“Do I actually want to ask why there’s so many Christmas lights in here?” 

Steve looked up from the tray he was testing, to see Peggy holding JJ, who was watching his father enraptured. Or more accurately, who was fixated on the length of bright lights shining near Steve’s feet.

“Buh!” He reached one chubby hand down making insistent grabbing motions.

Peggy sighed and shifted him up into her arms, propping him up so his head was still supported even as she gave him a better view.

“I’m decorating. For JJ. He likes the lights”

“Steve, he’s three months old.”

“It’s his first Christmas,” he insisted, reaching over to unplug the strand.

JJ made a distressed noise as the lights went dark, but was appeased by Peggy shifting so he faced the Christmas tree in the corner over her shoulder. He giggled and kicked his feet happily before laying his head on her shoulder, making Steve raise an eyebrow and tilt his head in their direction, before plugging in the next strand of lights. Peggy slipped a finger into the small fist that curled around the neckline of her blouse. JJ didn’t move, but held on just as tightly. 

“See?”

She looked at him dubiously, but sighed in resignation. “Oh alright.”

Steve grinned and Peggy couldn’t help but return the smile.

—

Snow gently fell outside the windows, the beginning layers of what would be a deep blanket by the end of the evening coating the streets. The view from the window was amazing- drifting snowflakes over a vibrant cityscape. A year ago, Steve might have sketched it.

Today, he was watching his son, and how his tiny face fixed on the television, where a snowman sang about silver and gold Christmas trees. JJ seemed to be enjoying it, though to be fair he seemed to enjoy most things. He was a fairly happy baby. 

There was a firm shutting and the sound of heels on wood when the door to the apartment closed, and JJ’s head turned away from the film, recognizing the sound. He’d been fussy for five minutes after Peggy left earlier, and now he started squirming as if by flailing he’d manage to summon his mother any faster. JJ made an annoyed noise, his face scrunching down into a disapproving baby frown.

Steve threw his arm out just in time, placing a hand in front of his son’s torso as he toppled forward. Trying desperately to get down from the couch, he leaned toward the television just as an elf burst out of the snowbank where the snowman had just been. One drool covered hand landed atop Steve’s, pushing in mute protest against the force keeping him upright. 

“Whoa buddy, careful. We can go say hi to your mom,” Steve said,

JJ burbled excitedly as Steve lifted him up so that his head was perched on his shoulder, the same drool covered fingers now clutching around the neckline of Steve’s shirt, leaving an unpleasant damp spot. 

“Hello darlings.” The sound of Peggy’s voice floated around from the other room along with the rusting of bags and cloth.

Steve rounded the corner just as Peggy slid the bags under the table for later. He smiled to himself, as much as she had insisted that JJ wouldn’t remember any of this, she made sure to hide the gifts, though that wouldn’t be an effective hiding spot next year. 

“How were the crowds?”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’ve dealt with worse.We can talk more about what’s left to buy when James naps,” she said, reaching out to take the baby. He gurgled happily and immediately buried his face in the blue sweater she was wearing.

“That might not take long,” Steve observed, placing a hand on JJ’s back. He couldn’t blame him, snuggled up with Peggy was one of the best places in the world. He’d spent enough time curled up with her just feeling warm again.

Peggy shook her head slightly, in that way she did when she could tell he was being maudlin before stretching up on her toes to kiss him.

—-

The floor in front of the tree was covered in blankets, white and fuzzy, creating an illusion of snow. Peggy stood behind Steve, watching him adjust the camera for the eighth time. JJ smiled his gummy smile at his father, his fingers wrapped around his toes, pulling on the red booties with a buckle print. He was propped against a mound of pillows, his feet kicking against the blankets beneath him. A Santa hat was perched on his brow, dark little wisps of hair emerging from the fluffy brim. Steve snapped a couple of photos, examining them carefully afterward.

Over the top of his head, Peggy grinned at JJ, who let go of his toes to flail his hands in her direction. He let his head drop back sending the hat tumbling to the other side of the pillow mound. He giggled and struggled to pull his head back up.

“Having trouble there?” Steve asked, leaning over to grab the hat and help JJ back upright. 

Peggy stepped around to sit behind the little photo setup, watching as Steve placed the hat back on JJ’s head.

After a moment, he sat back and reached for the camera again, and when he did, JJ immediately flopped backward, giggling, sending the hat to the floor and the top of the pillow pile slipping downward. He grinned at Peggy and she grinned back before helping him sit up again. 

Before she could even get the hat back on his head, he’d flopped back on the pillows again squirming and rolling happily as he giggled. 

“James doesn’t like posing for publicity photos- I wonder where he gets that.” Peggy raised an eyebrow in Steve’s direction. 

“At least he doesn’t have to wear tights.”

“Just a silly hat.”

“Be nice or Santa won’t bring you any presents.” Steve said, grinning at her.

“I have it on good authority that Father Christmas has already bought my presents so I rather doubt that.”

“Shhhhh.” Steve reached out to cover JJ’s ears with a scandalized expression. “Don’t give it away yet.”

JJ giggled again, the sound a more than adequate distraction for Peggy to lean in and kiss Steve gently. 

\---

“Remind me why we thought this was a good idea?” Peggy asked, looking between the tray of cookies she’d just pulled from the oven and the photo on the recipe.

They were dark, far darker than the photo, though not completely burnt, like the batch that came before which were currently in the garbage. It was not an appealing prospect the thought of having to eat them later on tonight. 

They’d attempted to make the cookies from scratch, because prepackaged simply wouldn’t do, even though James was only three months old and couldn’t help bake them or even put them on the plate. Still, it was about establishing Christmas traditions, Steve had said. 

Peggy thought this one was off to a rather poor start.

“Didn’t you ever leave cookies for Santa when you were a little girl?” he asked, stepping up behind her, hands on her shoulders.

“Father Christmas, she corrected absently, as she began pulling them off the baking tray. “You do realize that someone has to eat these.” 

She didn’t have to see his face to know Steve was wrinkling his nose at the prospect. He would eat almost anything, but burnt cookies weren’t appetizing even to him. 

“We’ll just throw them away tonight. JJ won’t notice.” Steve let go and walked away, going back to where he was stringing popcorn for the tree.

Peggy turned around with false affront. “Are you suggesting that everything doesn’t have to be perfect for his first Christmas?”

Steve had been so insistent about that. It was more than she might have done for her own tastes, but it was all in good fun and it was hard to deny him when he looked so happy. That was true for both of them, she supposed. James was currently napping, so at the very least she couldn’t be roped into any with his sad puppy eyes.

Steve looked up from the bowl and string and grinned. “Peggy. It’s Christmas. Santa will forgive you for not being able to bake.”

“He’d better,” she said, dusting cookie crumbs from her hands. “Or else he’ll be stringing this popcorn all alone until it’s time for the party.”

Steve’s face morphed into an exaggerated pout, and Peggy laughed before kissing his cheek and taking a seat to help. 

\----

The common areas in Stark Tower (or Avengers Tower, now) were decked out with tinsel, holly, fir garlands, and lights. It was hard to say who was the most responsible for the wealth of decorations, but no one was complaining. The room was warm and filled with people, the smell of cinnamon and gingerbread wafting from the tray of cookies in the center of the room. The low din of chatter echoed around, people standing in small groups. 

Tony and Bruce were in the middle of a discussion, Tony gesturing with a hand holding a half full tumbler as Bruce shook his head. For a moment, Steve’s gaze stopped on Peggy who was chatting with Natasha and Pepper, her red sweater as festive as she was was willing to get for this particular exchange. “I refuse to have my picture taken with antlers on my head,” she had said when he showed her the felt reindeer antlers he’d found when he bought JJ’s santa hat. Not that he hadn’t snuck some anyway when she’d worn them the day before, but Steve wasn’t stupid enough to ask her to do so in front of everyone. 

His gaze moved to JJ, who was in his bouncy seat  kicking his feet happily as he looked at everyone around him. The Thorson twins sat just out of range of his feet, chattering happily and showing him the Yule gifts they’d already received. JJ made tiny grabbing motions at one of the Asgardian toys that the boys showed him, and Steve made to push away to intercept them, but Jarvis, without even looking away from the conversation he was having with Clint put his hand between the toy and JJ’s hand, and JJ immediately grabbed his godfather’s finger instead. 

Relaxing back against the wall once more, he scanned the room again, watching everyone interact. It was strange now to think back to his earliest experiences in this room, how alone and lost he had felt, because now- now he had everything he’d ever wanted. It wasn’t perfect, there were people missing, people he wished he could see again, but he had his friends and his family around him and that was something five years ago he never would have foreseen.

Suddenly, Peggy was at his side, her fingers sliding against his. She looked up at him and his heart swelled for a moment. 

“Feeling maudlin?”

He shook his head and pulled her closer so her head was resting on his shoulder for a moment “Nah. Just thinking.”

“Share with the class then.” She looked up at him, an expression saying ‘go on’ firmly written in her expression. 

“I just… sometimes it hits me that this is real. You’re real. JJ is real. And Nat and Tony and everyone. And it’s good.” He leaned down to kiss her, soft and sweet, because she was there and he could and they had everything ahead of them. 

In a moment, they would all exchange gifts with their friends, and then in the morning they’d have all the time in the world with JJ, to watch him react to opening presents for the first time in his life. There would be more kisses and wonder and laughter going forward. This was just one more first, a beginning that would carry on and it was full of promise. 

“Yes it is,” Peggy said when they separated as she pulled him away from the wall and back into the party once more.


End file.
